Larasearch Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require abo/larasearch
   

   Publish the config file (if needed):

   php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Abo\Larasearch\LarasearchServiceProvider"
   

2. Basic Usage:

   • Search Model: Add the Searchable trait to your Eloquent model:

     use Abo\Larasearch\Searchable;
     
     class Product extends Model
     {
         use Searchable;
     }
     

   • Define Searchable Fields: Override the searchableFields() method:

     protected function searchableFields()
     {
         return ['name', 'description', 'sku'];
     }
     

   • Run Search:

     $results = Product::search('query')->get();
     

3. First Use Case: Implement a search feature in a controller:

   public function search(Request $request)
   {
       $query = $request->input('q');
       $products = Product::search($query)->paginate(10);
       return view('products.search', compact('products'));
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Basic Search:

   // Simple keyword search
   $results = Model::search('term')->get();
   

2. Advanced Querying:

   • Combine with Eloquent query builder:

     $results = Model::search('term')
         ->where('category', 'electronics')
         ->orderBy('created_at', 'desc')
         ->get();
     

   • Use orSearch for multiple terms:

     $results = Model::search('term1')->orSearch('term2')->get();
     

3. Pagination & Sorting:

   $results = Model::search('term')->paginate(15);
   $results = Model::search('term')->orderBy('name')->get();
   

4. Full-Text Search:

   • Ensure your database supports full-text indexing (e.g., MySQL FULLTEXT).
   • Define fields in searchableFields() for full-text search.

5. Integration with API:

   Route::get('/api/search', function (Request $request) {
       return Model::search($request->query('q'))->paginate(20);
   });
   

6. Search in Relationships:

   • Use with() to eager-load relationships:

     $results = Model::with('category')->search('term')->get();
     

7. Custom Search Logic:

   • Override search() method in your model:

     public function scopeCustomSearch($query, $term)
     {
         return $query->where(function($q) use ($term) {
             $q->where('name', 'like', "%{$term}%")
               ->orWhere('description', 'like', "%{$term}%");
         });
     }
     

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Database Compatibility:

   • Full-text search may not work as expected on SQLite. Use MySQL/PostgreSQL for advanced features.
   • Ensure your searchable fields are indexed in the database for performance.

2. Case Sensitivity:

   • Searches are case-insensitive by default. For case-sensitive searches, modify the underlying query.

3. Performance:

   • Avoid searching on large text fields (e.g., body) without proper indexing.
   • Limit the number of searchable fields to improve speed.

4. Special Characters:

   • Wildcards (%) in queries may not work as expected. Escape or handle them manually:

     $query = str_replace(['%', '_'], ['\%', '\_'], $request->input('q'));
     

5. Config Overrides:

   • If the package publishes a config file, ensure you review and customize it (e.g., default search fields, query modifiers).

Debugging

1. Log Queries: Enable Laravel's query logging to inspect generated SQL:

   DB::enableQueryLog();
   $results = Model::search('term')->get();
   dd(DB::getQueryLog());
   

2. Check Field Names:

   • Typos in searchableFields() will silently fail. Validate field names against your database schema.

3. Test with Simple Queries: Start with single-word searches to isolate issues before testing complex queries.

Tips

1. Extend Searchable Trait:

   • Create a base model with shared search logic:

     class SearchableModel extends Model
     {
         use Searchable;
     
         protected function searchableFields()
         {
             return ['global_search_field'];
         }
     }
     

2. Use Events:

   • Trigger events after search (e.g., log searches, update analytics):

     Model::search('term')->each(function ($model) {
         event(new SearchPerformed($model, 'term'));
     });
     

3. Combine with Scout:

   • For large-scale applications, consider using Laravel Scout alongside this package for distributed search.

4. Custom Analyzers:

   • If using MySQL, leverage custom full-text analyzers for better search relevance.

5. Fallback for Empty Results:

   • Provide a fallback response when no results are found:

     $results = Model::search($term)->get();
     return $results->isEmpty() ? response()->json(['message' => 'No results found']) : $results;